Articles

Playlist:
Tobias Bernstrup - Surround

Fixmer/McCarthy - I Run
The Presets - My People
Cold Cave - Love Comes Close

Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules Theme
Air - Eat My Beat
Gossip - Men In Love
Mount Sims - We Electric

Prefuse 73 - Violent Bathroom Exchange
Drum and Bell Tower - Work
Ricca Razor Sharp - Do You In The 80s

Eightcubed - Sunrise

I'm feeling really lazy this week. Sigh. New albums are coming out slower this time of year. I think artists and labels are gearing up for 2010, which is really fantastic. Because I know everyone cares a lot about my expectations I'm going to share some of the things I'm looking forward to. I hope you care too.

Xiu Xiu is expected to release their new album in early February on Kill Rock Stars. Dear God, I Hate Myself is the name of the album. I remember their last album being a pleasant surprise. It delved into a slightly more poppy arena than albums such as La Foret, which touched more on post-rock experimentalism, but by no means was it not incredible! I hope that Xiu Xiu continue to push themselves with Dear God, I Hate Myself.

Oh No Ono will have their debut album out in 2010 on Friendly Fire Recordings (North America). This fresh young band just released a single. They have an indie-pop style that incorporates a heartfelt ambience (appropriate to The Leaf Label). I caught their video and fell in love:


Sebastien Tellier purportedly has a new album in the works as well. That means more sick and sexy dance tunes to get rowdy to. Hell yeah.

I'll keep you posted with more news as I find out about it. My best of 2009 list is in the works too. Another year of fantastic music. Nothing to argue about.

A Place to Bury Strangers [2009] Exploding Head
Air [2009] Love 2
Au Revoir Simone [2009] Still Night, Still Light
Beep Beep [2009] Enchanted Islands
CéU [2009] Vagarosa
Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse [2009] Dark Night of the Soul
Flaming Lips [2009] Embryonic
Mando Diao [2009] Give Me Fire
Ministry of Sound [2009] Clubbers Guide to Spring 2009
Otto [2009] Certa Manha Acordei de Sonhos Intranquilos
Pearl Jam [2009]Backspacer
Pink Martini [2009] Splendor In The Grass
Sonic Youth [2009] The Eternal

IZIA, Wu-Tang Clan, Suprême NTM, Assassin, Nirvana, IAM, Bob Marley & The Wailers, La Spirale, Django Reinhardt, Squarepusher, The Prodigy, Necro, Ill Bill, Cypress Hill, Craig Armstrong, Heather Nova, La Coka Nostra, Scala & Kolacny Brothers, Keny Arkana, Bérurier Noir, Birdy Nam Nam, System of a Down, dead prez, Le Peuple de l'Herbe, Beastie Boys, Busta Rhymes, Alpha & Omega, House of Pain, Seth Gueko, Aphex Twin, Profecy, DJ Krush, Prefuse 73, R.A. the Rugged Man, Rage Against the Machine, Laurent Garnier, Dead Can Dance, Kool Keith, High Tone, Hildur Guðnadóttir, Erik Truffaz, Portishead, Wax Poetic, Johnny Cash, Foreign Beggars, Lady Sovereign, Sinéad O'Connor, Vitalic, Radikal Dub Kolektiv, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Jan Garbarek, Svinkels, Love Spirals Downwards, KRS-One, Dave Clarke, DJ Cam, The Doors, Clint Mansell, Lisa Gerrard, Fat Jon, Les Gourmets, The Beatles, Johannes Heil, KoЯn, Sleater-Kinney, Wax Tailor, B-Real, J Dilla, Filastine, Two Fingers, Asian Dub Foundation, Eminem, Jefferson Airplane, Autumn's Grey Solace, Gym Class Heroes, Shpongle, Herbie Hancock, Radiohead, Rockin' Squat, Mike Patton, Björk, Esbjörn Svensson Trio, Waldeck, Millencolin, Massive Attack, This Ascension, Lordz of Brooklyn, Ensemble Badila, Snoop Dogg, The Problemaddicts, Dub Syndicate, Groundation, Wolf Myer Orchestra, Beth Orton, Oh No, Edward "Kid" Ory, The Offspring, Venetian Snares, Alexander Kowalski, Rageous Gratoons, Noir Désir, Ben Harper, Nas, Ideal J, Verbose, Micropoint, The Black Seeds, Metallica, General Elektriks, Buraka Som Sistema, The Chemical Brothers, Thom Yorke, Lisa Gerrard & Pieter Bourke, Ayọ, EZ3kiel, Amon Tobin, Mano Negra, King of Conspiracy, Bob Marley, Moondog, 25G, Jimi Hendrix, Bauchklang, Moderat, Sigur Rós, DJ Muggs & Planet Asia, Louis Armstrong, Son Doobie, Tryo, Kronos Quartet, Iration Steppas, Looptroop, Mysa, Nine Inch Nails, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Olympic Gramofon, Leftfield, Fairy, Joy Division, 2Pac, Peace Orchestra, Eek-A-Mouse, Snowgoons, Heiko Laux, The Temptations, Le Trio Joubran, Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Guru, Flunk, Earl Hines, Erykah Badu, Burning Spear, Mary Lou Williams, Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, Oi Va Voi, 80kidz, Infected Mushroom, Animal Collective, The Quantic Soul Orchestra, NOMAK, Year of No Light, Horace Andy, The Cinematic Orchestra, Red Snapper, Nneka, Leila, NOFX, Lucky Thompson, Cal Tjader, Le Klub des 7, Jeff Buckley, Manu Chao, Wagon Christ, Drummers of the Societe Absolument Guinin, Barney Wilen, Ol' Dirty Bastard, UNKLE, Erik Truffaz & Sly Johnson, The Blue Stars, Underworld, Shurik'N, Arsonists, Madeleine Peyroux, The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble, Nostalgia 77, Terry Callier, Medine, Fingathing, Big Daddy Kane, Macka B, Keith Jarrett Trio, Iration Steppas Meet D. Rootical, De La Soul, Chali 2na, Lee "Scratch" Perry & The Upsetters, John Coltrane, DJ Food, Sergent Garcia, Rockamovya, Antonio Vivaldi, Notorious B.I.G., Sidney Bechet et Claude Luter, Tracy Chapman, Angélique Kidjo, EPMD, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, St. Germain, Daft Punk, Fat Freddy's Drop, Fatboy Slim, Johnny Clarke, RJD2, René Thomas, Soul Assassins, Deftones, Kaophonic Tribu, Linkin Park, The Skatalites, Muse, Belleruche, Sunflower Caravan, Les Reines Prochaines, DJ Shadow, Mass Hysteria, múm, Кочани Оркестар, Israel Vibration, Jurassic 5, Gelka, Lionel Hampton, Lost in Hildurness, Hilight Tribe, Shadow Dancer, Elek Bacsik, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Tânia Ârab, Troublemakers, William Orbit, Plastikman, The Specials, CunninLynguists, dead prez & DJ Green Lantern, Mansfield.TYA, Thievery Corporation, Raphael Saadiq, Smooth, Kery James, DJ Muggs vs. GZA/Genius, Love Is Colder Than Death, Miss Kittin & The Hacker, YAS, Chet Baker, Pendulum, Claude Bolling, Hubert Rostaing, Georges Brassens, Refractory, Scarface, Bill Coleman, Funkdoobiest, Telefon Tel Aviv, Lightning Bolt, Morcheeba, DJ Mitsu The Beats, Tricky, Hafdís Huld, Sidsel Endresen & Christian Wallumrød & Helge Sten, Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse, Akhenaton, Alif Tree, Tiken Jah Fakoly, Maurice Meunier, TAT, Carl Craig & Moritz von Oswald, Stéphane Grappelli, Black Uhuru, Kid Loco, Common, Ellen Allien, Roots Manuva, Joris Voorn, Method Man, Jah'licious, Hux Flux, Toots Thielemans, Blockhead, Rokia Traoré, Max Romeo, Cœur de Pirate, Method Man & Redman, RND, Volta & FX909, Venetian Snares & Speedranch, The Rolling Stones, BHASS Project, Orchestre National de Jazz, Pink Floyd, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Michel Legrand, Sayag Jazz Machine, Emilie Simon, Late Night Fruit, Buddy Banks, Pan•American, Booba, DJ Muggs vs. Planet Asia, The Kumba Mela Experiment, Jeff Mills, Ulytau, ZAMAN 8 & Hafez Modir, Ematom, Harmonic 313, Freestylers, The Gladiators, Control Machete, The Bush Chemists, Twista, Orange Street, The Roots, Michael Jackson, Los Hermanos, Dub Incorporation, RZA, The Ananda Shankar Experience and State of Bengal, Da Taz, Thelonious Monk, Limp Bizkit, Mr. Oizo, 雅-miyavi-, Ella Fitzgerald, Sex Pistols, AC/DC, Minty Fresh Beats, Gus Gus, Gideon, Themselves, Parabellum, K2R Riddim, Easy Star All-Stars, Rhythm & Sound, The Toraia Orchestra Of Algiers, Lee "Scratch" Perry & King Tubby, Keziah Jones, Ataraxia, TTC, Immortal Technique, Coldcut, A Tribe Called Quest, Lali Puna, Rhoda Scott & Kenny Clarke, Iron Maiden, Dizzy Gillespie, Pierre Michelot, Umek, Miles Davis, Gang Starr, DJ Muggs, Orbital, OutKast, Anthony Rother, Donald Byrd Quintet, Diego, Igorrr, Raekwon, Pharoahe Monch, Dream Theater, Anoushka Shankar, Sonny Criss, The Smashing Pumpkins, K's Choice, Massive Attack vs. Mad Professor, The Herbaliser, Blakroc, Lenny Kravitz, Cujo, Cosma, Killarmy, Big Punisher, Jamiroquai, Charles Mingus, Missak, Burial, Bernard Peiffer and his Saint-Germain-des-Prés Orchestra, Albert Nicholas, Édith Piaf, Mix Master Mike, Maceo Parker, Rae & Christian, Steel Pulse, Hocus Pocus, Opeth, Dee Nasty, Tom Waits, DJ Fresh, Manu le Malin, Khoiba, Animaltek, Peter Tosh, Steppenwolf, Alter Ego, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Boards of Canada, Red Hot Chili Peppers9, Bernard Zacharias et ses solistes, Ill Bill & Necro, Sublime, Crystal Distortion, The Dave Brubeck Quartet, GZA/Genius, Salmonella Dub, Harold Nicholas et son Orchestre, Grems, Missy Elliott, Sammy Price & Lucky Thompson, The Herbaliser Band, Ghostface Killah, Cranes, Slaine, Necro & Ill Bill, Lars Klein, Outlines, Saïan Supa Crew, John Dahlbäck, Junior Murvin, Delinquent Habits, Dubians, Arom & Gourmets Beatclub, Afu-Ra, Slide Hampton, Agoria, 2Pac & The Outlawz, Archive, The Alchemist, Somogo, Toots and The Maytals, Philip Glass, Ray Charles, Sia, Marcel et son Orchestre, Trust, Aretha Franklin, Sinsemilia, Public Enemy, Buck Clayton, James Brown, Zenzile & High Tone, The Streets, Adam F, Oscar Peterson, The Abyssinians, Improvisators Dub, Yuksek, Alanis Morissette, Alici, Cake, Up, Bustle and Out, Art Blakey, Scan X, DMX, Etikal Lab, Lady B, Keith Jarrett, David Carretta, Cocteau Twins, Lhasa de Sela, Jacques Brel, Charlie Singleton, Dimitri from Paris, Bonobo, Emmanuel Top, CéU, Kosheen, Jungle Brothers, Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Nada Surf, Cercle Rouge, Monolake, Marilyn Manson, Rachid Taha, Alain Goraguer, Dub Pistols, Jimmy Archey, Pat Metheny, Ravi Shankar and Philip Glass, Jimmy Riley, Wailing Souls, Taigaz, Air, Triston Palmer, Donald Byrd, Promoe, Ice Cube, Gang Gang Dance, Barbara Morgenstern, Technasia, Dubmood, Josh Wink, Eddy Louiss, Africa Combo & Bugge Wesseltoft.

Name your top 10 most played artists on Last.fm:

1. Air
2. Howard Shore
3. Sigur Rós
4. Goldfrapp
5. Imogen Heap
6. Moby
7. Frou Frou
8. Röyksopp
9. Bent
10. Boards of Canada

Now answer the questions according to the numbers:

What was the first song you ever heard by 6?
It was probably either South Side or Extreme Ways. It was so long ago, I can't remember.

What is your favourite album of 2?
Definitely The Lord of the Rings, which I consider one album because it tells one continuous story.

What is your favourite lyric that 5 has sung?
"The more you lose the less you see,
So close your eyes and start to breathe,
Oh you said yourself, this wasn't easy."

How many times have you seen 4 live?
Never! D:

What is your favourite song by 7?
It's Good To Be In Love. If this song were human, it would be my soul-mate.

What is a good memory you have involving the music of 10?
Relaxing in bed and falling asleep to the sounds of Dayvan Cowboy.

Is there a song of 3 that makes you sad?
Uh... Sigur Rós makes me so happy, it's a little sad. Does that count?

What is your favourite lyric that 2 has sung?
He's a composer, but my favourite lyric from his albums is:
"When the cold of winter comes
Starless night will cover day
In the veiling of the sun
We will walk in bitter rain

But in dreams
I can hear your name
And in dreams
We will meet again"
Sung by Edward Ross in The Breaking of the Fellowship from The Fellowship Of The Ring album. :')

What is your favourite song by 9?
Sunday 29th.

How did you get into 3?
I... Uh. I don't know! I can't remember. :/

What was the first song you heard by 1?
Cherry Blossom Girl! It's the entire reason I went searching for more songs by them.

What is your favourite song by 4?
A&E. :)

How many time have you seen 9 live?
Never.

What is a good memory you have involving 2?
I have so many good memories involving Howard Shore's music, it's ridiculous. It's the only music I listened to in high school. I played it constantly, all the time, on repeat. It at times would make me cry, make me laugh, make me cheer. I was as equally in love with the Lord of the Rings music as I was with the books and the movies. I know it's such a cliche to say, and I hate to say it, but... This music saved my life. And my love for it has not diminished over the years.

Is there a song of 8 that makes you sad?
Can't think of one.

What is your favourite album of 5?
Her newest, Ellipse.

What is your favourite lyric that 3 has sung?
Well... they sing in Icelandic.

What is your favourite song of 1?
Mer du Japon.

What is your favourite song of 10?
Dayvan Cowboy!

How many times have you seen 8 live?
Never. I fail when it comes to concerts.

What is your favourite album of 1?
I guess I'll go with Talkie Walkie.

What is a great memory you have considering 9?
I always associate them with my sister, because we both went a little crazy with them for a while.

What was the first song you heard by 8?
Follow My Ruin.

What is your favourite song by 2?
How much time do you have? Concerning Hobbits, Lothlorien, The Breaking of the Fellowship, May It Be, The Riders of Rohan, The King of the Golden Hall, Evenstar, The Breath Of Life, Forth Eorlingas, Gollum's Song, Minas Tirith, The Steward of Gondor, The Ride of the Rohirrim, The Return of the King, Into the West.
If you're going to make me narrow it down a bit more to one song:
The Fellowship Of The Ring - The Breaking of the Fellowship.
The Two Towers - It was a tough choice between Forth Eorlingas and something like The Riders of Rohan or The King of the Golden Hall which feature the beautiful violin theme that I associate with The Two Towers and Rohan, but in the end I went with Forth Eorlingas.
The Return Of The King - Minas Tirith.

REPORT 12/09 + DVD UVOLNĚTE SE, PROSÍM

NA TITULCE DIVOKEJ BILL, UVNITŘ NIRVANA, MUSE, MASSIVE ATTACK, AIR, DAVE GROHL, JULIETTE LEWIS, P!NK, KRYŠTOF, BILLY TALENT, REPORT Z CEN MTV A SERIÁL TA NAŠE METALOMÁNIE. PŘÍLOHOU JE DVD UVOLNĚTE SE, PROSÍM

Z obsahu:

Divokej Bill
Do úvalské restaurace U Vinaře mohl dorazit Vašek Bláha klidně v bačkorách, bydlí totiž pár kroků od jejích dveří. Společný oběd odvolal s tím, že „maminka vařila koleno” a zdálo se, že i to je součástí jeho snahy o zachování image buranské kapely, na kterou jsou Billové svým způsobem hrdí. S Vaškem hovořil Roman Jireš.

Nirvana
Patnáct let a několik měsíců po sebevraždě Kurta Cobaina vychází další várka „vykopávek“ Nirvany. Reedice alba Bleach s koncertem z roku 1990 a především DVD zaznamenávající vystoupení Nirvany na festivalu v Readingu, které bylo jedním z milníků rockové historie. Report pátral po okolnostech koncertu.

Massive Attack
Massive Attack sice neustále odkládají vydání nového alba, ale přesto fungují. Vydali čerstvé EP a koncertují, co to jde. O tom, proč je to nutné, si Jana Kománková povídala s Grantem Marshallem alias Daddym G.

Dave Grohl
Dave Grohl dál s úspěchem přesvědčuje svět, že není jenom „ten bubeník z Nirvany“. Sbírá jedno ocenění za druhým, letos založil superkapelu Them Crooked Vultures a s Foo Fighters si nyní k půlkulatému výročí nadělil výběrové album Greatest Hits. Profil hyperaktivního Davida přináší Dušan Kütner.

Air
Air poslali do světa šestou desku a vydali se na turné. O albu Love 2, koncertech a o dobrém oblečení jsme si povídali s polovinou dua, elegánem Nicholasem Godinem, který se stará o část vokálů a kytarové party.

KRYŠTOF
Odzbrojující hudba, všudypřítomný kouř z cigaret, nádherná zahrada a neustále dobře naladěný Richard Krajčo. Je odpoledne a Kryštof ve svém studiu v jednom z košířských domků už patnáctý den nahrává nové album. Kristina Blümelová přináší reportáž z místa činu.

LIVE: Podzimní O2 Sázavafest, P!NK, Herbaliser, Krucipüsk, Massive Attack, Juliette Lewis, Billy Talent, Muse
REPORT: Kryštof, Ceny MTV
ROZHOVORY: Massive Attack, Air, Para, Lavagance, Natalie Imbruglia, -123 min., Juliette Lewis, Kurtizány z 25. Avenue
PROFILY: Nirvana, Zuzana Smatanová
FRESH ENERGY: Attitudes
URBAN: DNA
BUBÁK: Dave Grohl
SMRT: Peter Laughner
NA CESTÁCH: Barcelona
UCHO: Pavel Šporcl
SLOUPKY: Jana Kománková, Roman Lipčík, Honza Homola, Ondřej Bezr, Jan „Visací“ Hubert, Simon Ruffskank, Honza Křížek
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As I've mentioned before, I've been thinking about the music I liked in the 2000s, and now decided to introduce you to it alphabetically... So listen up, kids :) The artists beginning with A are indeed a motley crew, I mean, there's jazz(-ish), indie rock, 2-step, chillout... But they all are unforgettable, and that's all that counts.
I've published this entry on my blog, too, so if you're looking for MP3 links, you should head there.
I apologize in advance for not including Arcade Fire, I used to think of them as The Arcade Fire for the longest time. And all the artists beginning with The will be under T. A bit silly I suppose, but whatever.

Aimee Mann

It really is a coincidence that the very first artist I present as one of my favorites of the decade is also my very latest discovery – Aimee Mann. Yes, like the majority, I got hooked on her melodic and melancholic contribution to the soundtrack of Magnolia, which inspired me to search out more of her songs. Aimee‘s songs are just the thing fuck-ups like me need, depressingly uplifting combination of music and lyrics aiming straight to the hearts of lost, confused and good-for-nothing basketcases like me. „Baby there‘s something wrong with me“, she sings on the chorus of King of the Jailhouse; she asks for someone to save her „From the ranks of the freaks who suspect they could never love anyone“ on Save Me; and on Deathly she says she‘s „just a problem for you to solve“. For the true representation of what Aimee‘s songwriting is all about, see 31 Today from her latest album. It‘s quite straightforward, yet if you‘ve ever been in a situation where you thought you were supposed to do something with your life and failed, you will be touched. Oh and be sure to watch the video of that song, it‘s hilarious. Meanwhile, the lyrics to Pavlov‘s Bell are more cryptic, but Aimee‘s abilities shine here: this one is the proof that she has not only a stunning voice, but also a knack for making super-catchy melodies.

My pick: Pavlov's Bell

Air

I‘m not sure myself why one of my overall most listened songs on Last.fm is La Femme d'argent (as a sidenote, though, it came out not in this decade). I‘m not the biggest fan of instrumentals, chillout music and overall the style of these French electronic gods is not exactly my cup of tea. I guess that particular track struck me as having that magical spark... It‘s as if I get lost in a sonic adventure, and every sound flows so perfectly that all I want is listen to it again and again, like a sailor spellbound by sirene‘s song. Regardless, the greatest achievement Air earned in the 2000s is, undoubtedly, their soundtrack to the movie Virgin Suicides. The moment that sinister rhythm begins on Playground Love, you have to know you‘re in for something special. And if you‘ve seen the film, you can‘t help but think of those poor girls in the 70's, whose parents made them go through hell just because they were teenagers and wanted to be loved. So this song serves as a way to escape that reality: „Time‘s no matter, I‘m on fire, you‘re my playground love“. A brief moment of joy, you‘d say, yet it‘s heavily melancholic, thanks to wonderful instrumentation and the saxophone in particular. All in all, this one song has enough to make Air stand out as one of key artists of the 2000s.

My pick: Playground Love

Amy Winehouse

She may be a stubborn addict who doesn‘t want to go to rehab and fucks up in live performances, yet her Back To Black album is a milestone. Again, this is not exactly the type of music I prefer, but she clearly stands out in a mass of artists such as Duffy who gained success mostly due to that album. Jazz revival, 60‘s revival, BBC POP, call it what you want, it‘s quality music either way. The brutal honesty of the lyrics might seem disturbing, I mean, „It‘s got me Addicted, does more than any dick did“? Funny, yet I feel sorry for her. It‘s as if she‘s the kind of hopeless fuck-up that Aimee Mann sings about. As for the key track, it‘s You Know I‘m No Good, I find it more funky and interesting than her smash-hit Rehab. As far as innovative artists of the noughties, Amy Winehouse is undoubtedly an important figure. But if she won‘t Wise Up (...yes, another reference ;D) and end up dead, she will be forgotten as a one-hit wonder. Unless, of course, the record label will succeed in Tupacizing her... which I can easily imagine happening.

My pick: You Know I'm No Good

Andrius Mamontovas

The last official album of Foje (except Best-ofs) was released in 1999 – the live record Vilnius-Kaunas-Klaipeda, which captured their very last performances. But the end of this legendary band allowed frontman Mamontovas to focus more on solo career (it started back in 1995), and it continued to blossom wonderfully in the 2000s. First came the sophisticated, mostly acoustic Visi Langai Ziuri I Dangu, then – under the moniker Cloudmaker – English-sung album, headlined with somewhat relaxing single No reason why. In 2002, however, things were shuffled up a bit by a more folksy, light-hearted approach – album O, Meile! offered new versions of folk classics and Andrius‘ own spin on the genre, fused with rock and pop, or, simply put, mamontovized. I didn‘t like it all, though lyrically tracks such as Ufonautai are just too fun to ignore. Next came beribiam danguje, another album that I found slightly too joyful and light as well. The true gems came late in the decade. Saldi. Juoda. Naktis went back to basics, to the clean, quiet, acoustic guitar strumming, which is absolutely stunning on tracks such as Marso Kanjonai. In 2008, a politically charged, angry album GELTONA. ŽALIA. RAUDONA struck the right chords both literally and figuratively. Arguably, it is his loudest, angriest and the most energetic album yet, with guitars roaring unapologetically on most tracks, such as Mes Čia. It is a critical look at today‘s corrupt society – crooked politicians, dumbed down show bussiness, greedy youth, addicts, etc. Ironically, my favorite track on that album is the happiest – Tavo svajonė, which is a superbly-crafted, catchy tune about good people, fairies, alchemists and things like that.

My pick: Marso Kanjonai

Arctic Monkeys

Back in 2005, I stumbled upon the album of their demos, Beneath the Boardwalk. Rugged voice, rugged guitars, rugged sound production, yes. But it was also unabashedly sincere, striking, simply different than anything I‘ve heard before, not to mention melodic, catchy as hell. And the lyrics, that was an entirely new world to me! British chavs with knackered Converse, mardy bums who don‘t see that he clearly cares, scummy pimps who‘d rob you if they could and girls who dance like robots from 1984... All those demos finally formed into one of the best albums of 2000s, cheekily named Whatever People Say I Am, That‘s What I‘m Not. Partly educational about the realities in British cities such as Sheffield, partly a rebellious fuck-off to bossy major record labels, it was all a great triumph, a success story which was unfortunately harmed by the media. I mean, if you‘re compared (not musically though) to the Beatles after your debut album, you might as well die, because you‘ll be remembered? Ridiculous. Sophomore effort Favourite Worst Nightmare was an evolution which wasn‘t met very enthusiastically (me included), though songs such as Teddy Picker and Fluorescent Adolescent are definitely worth mentioning. Now in 2009 comes Humbug, led by dark, difficult-to-warm-up-to Crying Lightning, which I now also consider one of the band‘s best singles. But I still haven‘t fully digested the album so I‘ll refrain from commenting on it further.

My pick: A Certain Romance


Honorable mentions

Artful Dodger

For a brief period at the juncture of two centuries, 2-step artists such as Artful Dodger enjoyed a lot of popularity. Some of you might still remember their collaborations with Craig David, such as Re-Rewind or Woman Trouble... But for me their most memorable track is Think about me, very somber, sad, difficult to pigeonhole as belonging to a certain genre. I remember when back in 2001 this was dedicated to a DJ of a Lithuanian radio station, Kristijonas, who died prematurely, and it was one of his favorite songs. So I guess I began associating Think About Me with loss and death, even if the lyrics actually refer to a break-up. Either way, it‘s one of those special songs that are not easy to forget. Oh and it's ironic that Last.fm lists them as The Artful Dodger, complicating my list even further... Well let me just ignore that fact and pretend there's no The :)

My pick: Think about me

Audioslave

It‘s difficult to explain why I put Audioslave in the section of „Honorable mentions“, as opposed to the actual list. I guess I always prefered Foo Fighters, similarly to how I prefer Pearl Jam to Soundgarden. Nevertheless, I still have a couple of favorites Chris Cornell put out this decade, and it‘d be a shame not to mention the incredible Show Me How to Live, or the somewhat fun Doesn‘t Remind Me... As far as alternative rock goes, Audioslave were essential to the genre, but I found their last album to be miserably bland, so their break-up in 2007 didn‘t make me sad.

My pick: Show Me How to Live

So that's it, hope you enjoyed reading. For MP3 links, videos and other crap you should go and visit my blog. Guess I'm fishing for popularity by copy-pasting here, well my excuse is that I want more people to discover good music. Yeah right...

Wow, after like over a year, I finally found my last.fm password!!! LOL...

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